Nanoadhesion structures for sporting gear

ABSTRACT

An apparatus including a first surface configured to attach the apparatus to a second surface of another object, and a plurality of elongated nanofibers. Each nanofiber has one end connected to the first surface and an opposite end extending away from the first surface. The plurality of elongated nanofibers is configured to adhere to the second surface by nanoadhesion when brought into contact with the second surface.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.12/819,378, filed on Jun. 21, 2010, and is based upon and claims thebenefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/218,735, filed on Jun. 19, 2009. The entire contentsof each of these documents are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to sporting gear having at least one surfaceequipped for nanoadhesion, more specifically to swimming goggles havinga nanofiber surface to attach to the user's body, a shoe having ananofiber surface on an outsole to attach to a nanofiber surface on amidsole, a nanoadhesive seam to connect panels as part of athleticapparel, and a nanofiber zipper.

2. Description of the Related Art

Today's sporting gear, including sporting apparel and sportingequipment, may be a combination of the latest innovations of technologyfrom various scientific disciplines. The resulting products are a systemof innovative advances all contributing to the performance, safety, andcomfort of the athlete. One significant area to improve sporting gear isto attach different sporting gear components together or attachcomponents to the wearer's body. Traditional processes to adherecomponents to each other and to the user have been imperfect.

In the case of swimming goggles and scuba masks, suction and compressionhave been traditional approaches to adhere a mask to the user's upperface. However, swim goggles utilizing these approaches frequently leakwater into a space between a goggle lens and user's eye causing the userto lose the ability to properly see out of that eye resulting in a lossof potential performance. The swim goggle user may tighten the gogglesand thereby push the goggles further into the skin around the eyes in aneffort to create a more durable watertight seal. Unfortunately there arenegative consequences to tightening goggles because they frequentlycreate red rings around the user's eyes and cause swelling in this skinarea by limiting blood flow and lymphatic return.

In the case of shoes, traditional chemical-based adhesives such as epoxycement have permanently attached outsoles to lower midsoles. For usersrequiring new outsoles to repair those that have been worn down aftermiles of use, the practical solution has been to replace the wholeshoes.

In the case of athletic seams used in clothing, there is a need for abetter technique to bind clothing together at a seam to supplement orreplace mere thread. After repeated uses of an article of clothing inathletic events or practice events the thread used for seams may breakor tear the adjacent clothing to cause the clothing to become unusable.

In the case of zippers, there is a need for a better zipper. Metalzippers can tear at fabric and plastic zippers may mechanically jam andnot allow either opening and/or closing. Further, zipper alternativesprovide significant disadvantages. For example, hook and loop fastenersmay attach to the wrong surface and cause surface damage.

There has been previous attempts to create goggles having no leaks,shoes having replaceable outsoles, and apparel having more robust seamsand zippers. Yet these efforts have produced sporting gear that suffersfrom either deficiencies in performance, comfort, or safety.

There are adhesive systems in nature that have not been applied tosporting gear. For example, the adhesive system on the feet of someinsects and lizards, such as Geckos, Anolis lizards, and skinks hasattracted research interest. These organisms have been able to attachand detach their feet to climb smooth surfaces such as glass. Theadhesion system involves the use of tiny slender natural protrusionsknown as setae (singular “seta”) attached to their feet. For example, aTokay gecko lizard possesses seta having a diameter of five microns anda height of 110 microns. The seta may include a set of sub-protrusionswhich contact other surfaces and have even smaller dimensions. As theseorganisms climb up smooth surfaces such as glass, the setae help geckosform a temporary attachment so they do not slip and fall. Althoughaspects of a gecko-like adhesive system have been observed in nature,the technology has not yet been successfully applied to commercialproducts.

Although foregoing research efforts have met with varying degrees ofsuccess, there remains an unresolved commercial need for more leak-proofswimming goggles, shoes with replaceable soles, and athletic apparelwith more robust seams and zippers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the present invention may be to address and resolve theabove limitations of conventional sporting gear.

A man-made adhesive mechanism may be customized as part of sporting gearhaving a mounting surface that may be attached to a second surface. Theadhesive mechanism may include a first plurality of nanofibers attachedto the mounting surface. The first end of each nanofiber may be attachedto the mounting surface using a flocking process along with theapplication of either thermal or radio frequency bonding. The second endof each of the first plurality of nanofibers may be placed in contactwith the second surface not having nanofibers or a plurality of secondnanofibers attached to the second surface to form a temporary attachmentcalled nanoadhesion which may include a van der Waals forcecontribution.

The nanoadhesion attachment may be detached by pulling the firstplurality of nanofibers away at an angle from the second surface. Eachnanofiber may include a fiber shaft less than 100 microns in length witha diameter of less than half a micron.

In a first aspect, the present invention may be adapted to attachswimming goggles to the wearer's face. Goggles may include a lenscomponent, also known as a lens cup, for each eye. A lens component mayhave a lens surface and a mounting surface. The mounting surface may beconfigured to form a seal with the skin around a wearer's eye. Themounting surface may be made of the same material as the lens surface orthe mounting surface may be included as part of a lower modulus ofelasticity material attached as part of the lens component.

Nanofibers are attached to goggles at the mounting surfaces of each lenscomponent and form a protrusion emanating from the mounting surface thatcontacts the skin around the wearer's eyes. The nanofibers may beattached around the entire perimeter or only in areas of the mountingsurface that are prone to separate from the skin during use of theswimming goggles (such as to the right and left of the eye). Thenanofibers may provide a nanoadhesion force to better keep the mountingsurface attached to the skin during use and may easily be detached fromthe skin at the end of use by pulling the mounting surface away from theskin.

In a second aspect, the present invention may be adapted to attach anddetach components of an athletic shoe having an outsole, midsoleassembly, and upper. The outsole contains a bottom surface to contactthe ground and a top surface to contact the midsole assembly. The topsurface of the outsole contains a first mounting surface with a firstset of nanofibers attached. The midsole assembly may contain severalcomponents to provide shock absorption and stability such as a rearlower midsole, a directional cradle, and a primary midsole. A bottomsurface of the midsole assembly may contain a second mounting surfacehaving a second set of nanofibers attached. The outsole may be attachedto the midsole assembly by bringing the first and second set ofnanofibers together.

Other sets of nanofibers and mounting surfaces may be included to attachthe midsole assembly to the upper and/or the midsole componentstogether. The attachment process allows worn components to be replacedand different components to be swapped out to provide several differentshoe configurations for the same upper. The attachment process alsoimproves manufacturing efficiency.

The shoe assembly may include sunken surfaces and complementarythree-dimensional shapes to define the mounting surfaces and to therebyassist in a mechanical interference to keep the outsole in place whilethe shoe may be used. Further the shoe may include seals and/or gasketsto keep contaminants such as dirt or water away from nanofibers.

In yet a third aspect, the present invention may be adapted to create ananofiber seam to attach woven panels to form various athletic gear suchas shirts, jackets, shorts, pants, hats, socks, and/or shoes. Nanofibersmay also be used to create attachments between garments, for examplefrom a glove to a jacket or a coat to a pant, or a pant to a boot.

An apparel item may be made up of various components (herein “panels”)that are attached at one or more seams. The panels are cut to the propersize. Panels may have nanofibers attached via the flocking process alongan edge of each panel where a seam may be intended to join the panels.The nanofibers may be attached to one side or both sides of each of theedges. The panels are then attached by bringing the nanofibers incontact. The panels may also be folded over to allow additionalnanofibers to come into contact and to be attached together. Thenanofibers may be pulled apart to allow the panels to be orientated in adifferent position to each other. The seam may be supplemented by threadfor strength.

In yet a fourth aspect, the invention may be adapted to create ananofiber-based zipper for athletic gear such as apparel, gym bags,footwear, and the like that contain panels as described above. Thenanofiber zipper may be used to attach a first edge of a first panelwith a second edge of a second panel. The first and second panels mayhave nanofibers attached via the flocking process along an edge of eachpanel where the nanofiber zipper may be intended to attach the panels.The nanofibers may be attached to one side of the first panel edge andto one side of the second panel edge. The panels are then attached bybringing the nanofibers in contact. The user may unzipper the nanofiberzipper by pulling the nanofibers apart at an angle through the use of azipper slider that may be outfitted with a control handle. The nanofiberzipper may be supplemented by other fasteners such as traditional hooksor buttons.

As should be apparent, the invention can provide a number ofadvantageous features and benefits. It is to be understood that, inpracticing the invention, an embodiment can be constructed to includeone or more features or benefits of embodiments disclosed herein, butnot others. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the preferredembodiments discussed herein are provided as examples and are not to beconstrued as limiting, particularly since embodiments can be formed topractice the invention that do not include each of the features of thedisclosed examples.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendantadvantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes betterunderstood by reference to the following detailed description whenconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

The invention will be better understood from reading the descriptionwhich follows and from examining the accompanying figures. These areprovided solely as non-limiting examples of the invention. In thedrawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a nanofiber according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a process to attach the nanofiber to a mountingsurface using an adhesive according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a process to attach the nanofiber to a mountingsurface using heat or high frequency radio waves according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4A illustrates a pair of swimming goggles according to anembodiment of the present invention as viewed from the top;

FIG. 4B illustrates the pair of swimming goggles according to anembodiment of the present invention as viewed from the front;

FIG. 5A illustrates the swimming goggle according to an embodiment ofthe present invention as viewed from the back;

FIG. 5B illustrates the swimming goggle according to an embodiment ofthe present invention as viewed from the top and including a close-up ofnanofibers attached;

FIG. 6A illustrates a swimming goggle according to an embodiment of thepresent invention without a head band as viewed from the back;

FIG. 6B illustrates the swimming goggle according to an embodiment ofthe present invention without a head band as viewed from the top andincluding a close-up of nanofibers attached;

FIG. 7A illustrates a ski goggle according to an embodiment of thepresent invention without a head band as viewed from the front;

FIG. 7B illustrates the ski goggle according to an embodiment of thepresent invention without a head band as viewed from the top andincluding a close-up of nanofibers attached;

FIG. 8A illustrates a set of skin areas or regions designed to be incontact with the swimming goggles according to an embodiment of thepresent invention as viewed from the front;

FIG. 8B illustrates a skin area or region designed to be in contact withthe ski goggle according to an embodiment of the present invention asviewed from the front;

FIG. 9 illustrates a shoe having components attached by nanofibersaccording to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from theside;

FIG. 10 illustrates a lower from the shoe having components attached bynanofibers according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewedfrom the upper side;

FIG. 11 illustrates a pair of mounting surfaces being attached bynanofibers connected to each of the mounting surfaces according to anembodiment of the present invention as viewed from the side;

FIG. 12 illustrates an athletic garment having a seam and a zipperutilizing nanofibers according to an embodiment of the present inventionas viewed from the front;

FIG. 13A illustrates a set of two apparel panels having nanofibers priorto attachment according to an embodiment of the present invention asviewed from the side;

FIG. 13B illustrates the set of two apparel panels having nanofibersattached and folded according to an embodiment of the present inventionas viewed from the side;

FIG. 13C illustrates the set of two apparel panels having nanofibersattached, folded, and double-stitched with thread according to anembodiment of the present invention as viewed from the side;

FIG. 14A illustrates a set of two apparel panels having double-sided andsingle-sided nanofibers prior to attachment according to an embodimentof the present invention as viewed from the side;

FIG. 14B illustrates the set of two apparel panels having double-sidedand single-sided nanofibers attached according to an embodiment of thepresent invention as viewed from the side;

FIG. 14C illustrates the set of two apparel panels having double-sidedand single-sided nanofibers attached and double-stitched with threadaccording to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from theside;

FIG. 15A illustrates a set of two apparel panels having single-sidednanofibers prior to attachment according to an embodiment of the presentinvention as viewed from the side;

FIG. 15B illustrates the set of two apparel panels having single-sidednanofibers attached according to an embodiment of the present inventionas viewed from the side, this FIG. 15B also illustrates the preferredembodiment of the nanofiber zipper;

FIG. 15C illustrates the set of two apparel panels having single-sidednanofibers attached and double-stitched with thread according to anembodiment of the present invention as viewed from the side;

FIG. 16A illustrates first and second nanofiber folds as part of ananofiber zipper detached in an open state as viewed from the top;

FIG. 16B illustrates first and second nanofiber folds as part of thenanofiber zipper attached in a closed state as viewed from the top;

FIG. 17A illustrates a cross section of an upper section of a nanozipperslider showing first and second nanofiber folds as viewed from the top;

FIG. 17B illustrates a cross section of a lower section of thenanozipper slider showing first and second nanofiber folds as viewedfrom the top;

FIG. 18A illustrates the nanofiber zipper slider from the front;

FIG. 18B illustrates the nanofiber zipper slider from the left;

FIG. 18C illustrates the nanofiber zipper slider as part of the fullnanofiber zipper

FIG. 19A illustrates a nanofiber watch attached to a wrist using a strapas viewed from the side;

FIG. 19B illustrates the nanofiber watch attached to a wrist without thestrap as viewed from the side;

FIG. 19C illustrates the nanofiber watch attached to a wrist without thestrap as viewed from the top;

FIG. 19D illustrates the nanofiber watch with nanofibers attached andthe wrist as viewed from the side;

FIG. 20A illustrates a second device attached to an arm using a strap asviewed from the front;

FIG. 20B illustrates the second device watch attached to the arm withoutthe strap as viewed from the front;

FIG. 20C illustrates the second device as viewed from the front;

FIG. 20D illustrates the second device with nanofibers attached and thearm as viewed from the side;

FIG. 21A illustrates the second device attached directly to a piece ofclothing using nanofibers as viewed from the front;

FIG. 21B illustrates the second device as viewed from the front;

FIG. 21C illustrates the second device with nanofibers attached and thepiece of clothing as viewed from the side; and

FIG. 21D illustrates the second device with nanofibers attached and thepiece of clothing with nanofibers attached as viewed from the side.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designateidentical or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferredembodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference characterswill be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

FIG. 1 illustrates an adhesive protrusion hereafter known as a nanofiberpreferably having a length from 5 to 100 microns in length. Thenanofiber diameter may be preferably 0.05 times its length which mayrange from 250 nanometers to a micron. A first terminal end 22 of ananofiber shaft 23 may not be attached to a mounting surface. Theopposite terminal end 24 of the nanofiber shaft may be attached to amounting surface via an adhesive or other attachment method such asthermal or high frequency radiation induced bonding or the like.

When the first terminal end 22 of the nanofiber 20 contacts anothersurface, attraction forces, including van der Waal forces, adhere thenanofiber end 22 to the other surface. The other surface may also have asecond nanofiber attached by adhesive that adheres to the nanofiberand/or the mounting surface. The attraction forces produced by contactwith the nanofiber is referred here as nanoadhesion. The resultingattraction forces mimic the action of setae on a gecko's foot.

The nanofibers are constructed using various methods. These methodsgenerally involve casting or molding the fibers, growing them in asolution, or deposition. One method may be to use lithography methodswhere a recess may be etched in a semiconductor substrate and nitrideand oxide layers are deposited on the substrate. The surface then may bepatterned and etched. When the underlying structure is etched, a stressdifference between the oxide and nitride layers causes the structure tocurl and to form a shaft structure. The ends 22 of the shaft may beroughened to increase surface area available for contact by using wetetching, radiation, plasma roughening, electrochemical etching andothers.

A preferred method of making nanofibers involves creating yarns ofsub-micron diameter fibers. These yarns may be cut from the yarns torelease the fibers in lengths such that when adhered to a mountingsurface, in a position perpendicular to the mounting surface, thenanofiber will not collapse under its own weight.

The nanofibers may be then collected and prepared for attachment to themounting surface. The nanofibers may be cleaned to remove contaminantsand then chemically treated to accept an electric charge. The nanofibersmay be spin-dried and then oven-dried to a specific moisture content.Conductivity may depend on moisture content, so it may be preferablethat some moisture remain with the nanofibers. The nanofibers 20 arethen packaged in moisture-proof containers 4 to maintain optimalmoisture until a later attachment of the nanofibers 20 to a mountingsurface.

The nanofibers 20 may then be attached to a mounting surface via aflocking process. There are various types of flocking methods available,but an electrostatic-based flocking method may be preferred forattaching nanofibers to a mounting surface because of its ability tobetter align the nanofibers to the mounting surface.

Two electrostatic-based flocking processes are preferred for permanentlyattaching the nanofibers 20 to the mounting surface. The first processinvolves an adhesive to attach the nanofibers 20 to the mounting surfaceand the second process involves heat instead of the adhesive.

In the first process shown in FIGS. 2A to 2E, the flocking processbegins by applying a chemically-compatible adhesive to the mountingsurface which has been properly cleaned. In the case of a texturedmounting surface having peaks and valleys, the adhesive may only beapplied to the peaks. Various adhesives may be used such as: a lowviscosity ultra-violet cure epoxy, uncured silicone rubber, polyurethaneresin, plastisol (polyvinyl chloride particles suspended in aplasticizer), or the like.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the adhesive may be applied to the mounting surfacein the area(s) where the nanofibers 20 are desired to be attached. Theadhesive thickness applied may be dependent upon the adhesive used andthe mounting surface. A statistical process control methodology maybegin with a preferred adhesive thickness that may be approximately tentimes the shaft diameter of the nanofiber. The thickness may then beadjusted to optimize the reliability of the adhesive to hold thenanofiber and the efficacy of the final product.

This methodology will create a scaled fiber assembly substantiallysimilar to that encountered in nature within the gecko's foot, and in amanner that lends itself to large scale industrial production.

After the adhesive 3 may be applied, the mounting surface 2 may beplaced between the flock hopper 5 and a grounded electrode 8 as shown inFIG. 2C. The flock hopper 5 may be filled with the many nanofiberstransferred from the moisture-proof containers 4. The flock hopper 5 mayhave rotating flock stirrers with a plurality of arms configured toallow the nanofibers 20 to become airborne randomly to produce a uniformpattern at the exit of the hopper. The airborne nanofibers may then passthrough an electrode grid 6 at the exit of the flock hopper whichimparts a charge on the airborne nanofibers 20 that is an oppositeelectric charge compared to the grounded electrode 8.

The temperature and humidity of the flocking environment may be criticalin controlling the charge on the airborne nanofibers. Humidity too lowmay cause the nanofibers to not effectively take on an electrical chargeand humidity too high may cause the nanofibers to undesirably stick orclump to each other. These humidity and temperature levels may beoptimized according to the nanofiber characteristics and the adhesiveused.

Once the nanofibers 20 are electrically-charged and released from theflock hopper 5 to be airborne above the mounting surface as elements 7,the nanofibers 7 will align themselves with the magnetic field betweenthe electrodes 6, 8 and accelerate towards an oppositely-chargedelectrode 8 arranged below the mounting surface 2. The aligned andaccelerated nanofibers 7 collide with and embed into the adhesive 3 in aposition substantially perpendicular to the mounting surface 2.

Alternatively, the adhesive may be electrically charged instead ofhaving a grounded electrode beneath the mounting surface. The nanofibers20 would similarly embed into the adhesive 3 in the positionsubstantially perpendicular to the mounting surface 2. As shown in FIG.2D, the mounting surface 2 may then be removed from between the flockhopper 5 area and excess nanofibers 21 which are not embedded into theadhesive 3 may be removed via vacuum 9 or other suction device. Theadhesive 3 may be allowed to cure and the nanofibers 20 remain attachedand generally perpendicular to the mounting surface as shown in FIG. 2E.

The second process may be shown in FIGS. 3A to 3E. The nanofibers 20used in this process may be made of thermoplastic which may form a bondwith the mounting surface 2 greater than a certain temperature. Variousthermoplastics may be used such as Poly(methyl methacrylate) or PMMA,polyethylene (PE), Polystyrene (PS), or the like.

As represented in FIG. 3A, the mounting surface 2 may first be preparedfor the attachment of the nanofibers 20 by cleaning using surfactants orother cleaning agents available to remove contaminants that may inhibitthe subsequent process steps. Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, the mountingsurface 2 may be heated. The heater 10 may be an oven, a frequencyradiation emitter, or the like. The heater 10 may use heating means 11such as radiation heat transfer or convention heat transfer to heat themounting surface 2 to a temperature above the melting point of thematerial used to make the nanofibers 20. For example, the melting pointof PMMA is approximately 135 degrees Celsius, polyethylene is between105 to 130 degrees Celsius, and polystyrene melts at roughly 240 degreesCelsius.

After heating, the mounting surface 2 may be placed between the flockhopper 5 and a grounded electrode 8 as shown in FIG. 3C. The flockhopper 5 may be filled with the many nanofibers transferred from themoisture-proof containers 4. The flock hopper 5 converts the nanofibers20 into airborne nanofibers 7 which then pass through an electrode grid6 at the exit of the flock hopper to impart a charge on the airbornenanofibers 20 that is an opposite electrical charge compared to that ofthe grounded electrode 8.

Once the airborne nanofibers 7 are electrically-charged and releasedfrom the flock hopper 5 to be airborne above the mounting surface, theywill align themselves with the magnetic field between the electrodes 6,8and accelerate towards an oppositely-charged electrode 8 arranged belowthe substrate 2. The aligned and accelerated nanofibers 7 collide withthe heated mounting surface 2 and nanofibers 7 partially melt at thecontact point between the nanofibers 20 and the heated mounting surface2 to form a permanent attachment point.

The mounting surface 2 may then be removed from between the flock hopper5 area and the excess nanofibers 21 that are not attached to themounting surface 2 are removed via vacuum 9 or other suction device asshown in FIG. 3D. The mounting surface 2 may be allowed to cool and thenanofibers 20 remain attached and generally perpendicular to themounting surface as illustrated in FIG. 3E.

First Embodiment Nanofiber Swimming Goggles

Sporting gear provides useful applications for nanoadhesion. In thefirst embodiment, swim goggles are commonly used to enable swimmers tokeep water out of their eyes. The swim goggles 101 are illustrated inFIGS. 4A to 7B. The swim goggles 101 may include two eye components 102,a nose bridge 108 and a head band 104. The nose bridge 108 may bedesigned to hold each of the eye components 102 a fixed distance apart.The head band 104 may fit around the head of the wearer and be attachedat each end to the eye components 102. Each eye component 102 mayinclude a lens surface 103, a connector interface 107, a head bandinterface 105, and a sealant surface 106. The connector interface 107may connect the nose bridge 108 to the eye component 102. The head bandinterface 105 may connect the head band 104 to the eye component 102.The sealant surface 106 may contact a skin contact area 123, 124 of theleft or right eye 121, 122 as shown in FIG. 8A. The shape of the sealantsurface 106 may be similar to the shape of the skin area 123, 124 toallow contact all around the eye 121, 122. The sealant surface 106 maybe the same material as the lens surface 103.

As shown in FIG. 5B, the sealant surface 106 may have many nanofibers 20attached at the terminal end 24. The unattached terminal ends 22 of thenanofibers 20 are configured to contact the skin contact area 123, 124when the goggles 101 are worn by a user and thereby form a nanoadhesionattachment with the skin contact area 123,124.

The nanofibers 20 are not configured to penetrate the skin contact area123 which is composed of several skin layers including the epidermis anddermis. The human epidermis is the outer skin layer and its minimumthickness is 50 microns at the eyelids. The human epidermis has fivesub-layers and the cells divide at the inner layers and are graduallypushed to the exterior layers where their cells flatten and die to beshed every two weeks. The nanofibers 20 may be configured to merelycontact the outer layers of the epidermis to avoid skin injury.

Another embodiment of the goggles may have a rubber gasket. The rubbergasket may act as the sealant surface 106 and may be merely attached tothe eye component 102 via adhesive such as epoxy cement or the like. Thegasket 106 may be made from rubber, silicone, or other soft material.One end 24 of each nanofiber 20 may be permanently attached to therubber gasket 106 using one of the flocking processes 1, 12. The skincontact area 123, 124 contacts the unattached end 22 of the nanofibers20 when the swim goggles 101 are worn and a nanoadhesion attachment maybe made between the nanofiber 20 and the skin contact area 123,124.

Embodiments of the goggles 101 are intended to be used by the wearer ina similar way. The wearer places the eye components 102, 109 over theeyes 121, 122, so that the end 22 of the nanofibers 20 attached to thesealant surface 106 contacts the skin contact area 123. The wearer thenfastens the head band 104 around the wearer's head to provide acomfortable fit which pulls the sealant surface 106 against the skin 123in order to form a watertight seal. The wearer may also slightly depressthe eye component 102 against the skin 123 to force a small amount ofair to be pushed out from between the eye compartment 102 and the eye121. When this air is pushed out, the watertight seal keeps the air fromreturning and thereby maintains a negative suction between the eyecomponent 102 and the corresponding eye 121 to improve the watertightseal. The negative suction is an absolute pressure less than ambientpressure. The user may also depress the eye component 109 to achieve asimilar negative suction to improve the watertight seal related to theother eye 122.

As the wearer engages in a water activity involving immersing the user'shead and swim goggles 101 in water, the watertight seal may bemaintained because the skin 123 remains in contact with the sealantsurface 106 as a result of the negative suction, the pull of the headband 104, and the nanoadhesion attraction between the nanofibers 20 andthe skin 123. This watertight seal may be more robust than goggleswithout nanofibers 20, because as the wearer engages in vigorousactivities while wearing the goggles 101 the tight seal may bevulnerable to compromise as the contact skin area 123 changes shaperelative to the sealant surface 106 during the water activity.

When the water activity has been completed, the wearer merely releasesthe head band 104 from the back of the wearer's head and the wearerpulls the eye components 102, 109 from the skin contact areas 123, 124.

A second aspect to this first embodiment may be swim goggles without ahead band 104, connector interface 107, and nose bridge 108 as shown inFIGS. 5A and 5B. In this second aspect, each eye component 102 isidentical to each other and has nanofibers 20 attached to the sealantsurface 106. Just prior to the wearer engaging in a water activityinvolving immersing the user's head and swim goggles in water, an eyecomponent is placed in contact with each of the respective skin areas123, 124 so that the nanofibers 20 are in contact with the respectiveskin areas 123, 124. A watertight seal may be maintained as describedwith respect to a single eye component because the skin 123 remains incontact with the sealant surface 106 as a result of negative suction andthe nanoadhesion attraction between the nanofibers 20 and the skin 123.When the water activity has been completed, the wearer merely pulls eacheye component from the respective skin areas 123, 124.

As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, ski goggles may be a second aspect of thisfirst embodiment. The ski goggles 130 may include a lens 131 and asealant surface 132. The ski goggles 130 may or may not also include astrap (strap not shown). The sealant surface 132 has nanofibers 20attached using at least one of the flocking processes mentioned earlier.Just prior to the wearer engaging in a skiing activity, the nanofibers20 are placed in contact with a skin area 125 as shown in FIG. 8B. Ananoadhesion attraction between the skin area 125 and the nanofibers 20is created which keeps the ski goggles 130 attached to the skin area125. When the skiing activity has been completed, the wearer merelypulls the sealant surface 132 away from the skin area 125. Other sportsgoggles, prescription or non-prescription, are also embodied in thisapplication and can be similarly constructed.

In yet another embodiment, the sealant surface 132 having nanofibers 20may be located instead on a waistband or shirt cuff to grip the nearbyskin better.

Second Embodiment Replaceable Shoe Components

Another embodiment utilizing the nanofibers 20 is illustrated in FIG. 9as an athletic shoe 200 having an upper 201 and a lower 202. FIG. 10shows the lower 202 for a left foot, but the right shoe has a similarconstruction. The lower 202 may include a full-length primary midsole210, a directional cradle 211, a first cushion 212, a second cushion213, a third cushion 214, a rear lower midsole 215, a rear outsole 220,a lateral outsole 221, a medial outsole 222, a center outsole 223, and afront outsole 224. The directional cradle 211 may be attached to theprimary midsole 210. The cushions 212, 213, 214 may be attached to boththe directional cradle 211 and the rear lower midsole 215. Thecomponents of the outsole 220, 221, 222, 223, 224 may be attached to therear lower midsole 215, directional cradle 211, and/or primary midsole210. Any of the components that are part of the lower 202 may beattached together where as shown in FIG. 11 a first set of nanofibers241 are permanently attached to first mounting surface 240 and a secondset of nanofibers 231 are permanently attached to a second mountingsurface 230 via the flocking processes 1, 12. The mounting surfaces230,240 may be part of the components of the lower 202. Then, using theprocess of nanoadhesion, the first and second nanofibers 231, 241 areplaced in contact as the components of the lower 202 are placed incontact to form a nanoadhesion attachment. The attachment may betemporary because the user may pull the lower components (elements210-215 and/or 220 to 224) apart to remove or replace the component witha second component.

The nanoadhesion embodiments of shoe 200 are intended to be used by thewearer in a similar way. The wearer inserts her foot into the upper 201and fastens the upper 201 comfortably to the foot so the foot may bedisposed between the upper 201 and the lower 202. The wearer may engagein whatever activity desired so that the outsole components 220, 221,222, 223, 224 may have a set of impacts with the ground.

When the activity has been completed, the upper 201 may be unfastenedand the wearer's foot removed from the shoe 200. When one or more of thecomponents of the lower 202 become worn beyond repair and need to bereplaced, then the wearer will pull the set of nanofibers 231permanently attached to the worn component from the set of nanofibers241 attached to another component. Next, the wearer may attach areplacement component having a new set of nanofibers 231 on a mountingsurface 230 to the old corresponding set of nanofibers 241 on the othercomponent by bringing them in contact.

Third Embodiment Nanofiber Seams

Yet another embodiment may be to produce a nanofiber seam to connectwoven panels as part of athletic gear such as shirts, jackets, shorts,pants, hats, socks, and/or shoes. Various seam configurations may becreated with nanofibers. For example, FIG. 12 illustrates an athleticshirt 300 having a first woven panel 310 and a second woven panel 320attached by a nanofiber seam 301.

The woven panels 310, 320 may first be cut to the proper size prior tobeing attached by the seam 301. The woven panel 310 has a top side 312and a bottom side 313 as shown in FIG. 13A. The woven panel 320 has atop side 322 and a bottom side 323. The panels 310, 320 may havenanofibers 231, 241 attached via the flocking process 1, 12 along anedge of each panel where a seam may be intended to join the panels. Thenanofibers 231 may be attached to one side of the panel 310 at a paneledge 311 as shown by FIG. 13A. The nanofibers 241 may be permanentlyattached to one side of the panel 320 at a panel edge 321 using theflocking process 1, 12. The panels 310, 320 are then attached bybringing the nanofibers 231, 241 in contact at the panel edges 311, 321.FIG. 13B shows the attached panel edges 311, 321 after being foldedover. FIG. 13C shows thread stitches 302, 303 added to add strength andto form a nanofiber seam 304. Prior to the stitching 302, 303 beingapplied, the nanofibers 231,241 may be pulled apart to allow the panels310, 320 to be re-attached in case they have been incorrectly positionedtogether the first time.

In yet an alternative embodiment, the nanofibers 231, 241 may beattached to the panels 310, 320 in both single-sided 412, 422 anddouble-sided 411, 421 nanofiber areas as shown in FIG. 14A. In thisembodiment two of the double-sided nanofiber areas 411, 421 are firstplaced in contact, then folded over to allow the remaining twodouble-sided nanofiber areas 411, 421 to attach to the single-sidednanofiber areas 412, 422 as shown in FIG. 14B. Threaded stitching 402,403 may be added for strength and to form a second nanofiber seam 404 asshown in FIG. 14C.

In another embodiment, a nanofiber seam 504 may be produced by attachingnanofibers to panels, 310, 320 to form a set of single-sided nanofiberareas 511, 521 as shown in FIG. 15A. The nanofiber panel edges 511,521are attached together using nanoadhesion by being placed in contact asshown in FIG. 15B. Stitching 502, 503 is applied to add further strengthto the nanofibers and thereby produce the nanofiber seam 504 as shown inFIG. 15C.

The nanofiber seams 304, 404, 504, may be used by apparel designers toconstruct various athletic gear products from one or more woven panels.When the athletic gear is utilized by the final user, the nanofiber seamshould keep one or more woven panels reliably together.

In yet another embodiment, the seam arrangement represented by thenanofiber panel edges 511, 521 may be used to reconfigure a pocket onclothing so that the location and the shape of the space that can beaccommodated within the pocket may be changed by adjusting the contactarea between the panel edges 511 and 521 at a perimeter of the pocketand clothing that the pocket is mounted upon.

In a further embodiment, the seam arrangement represented by thenanofiber panel edges 511, 521 may be used to connect a jacket to pants,e.g., sporting apparel such as running jackets and pants, warm-upjackets and pants, and/or ski jackets and pants. This may improve warmthby keeping the wind out of the area between the jacket and the pants.The panel edge 511 may be on the bottom of the jacket edge and the paneledge 521 may be on the top of the pants as shown in the FIG. 15A. Whenthe pants are attached to the jacket at the panel edges 511, 521, thenthe panels may create the nanoadhesion attachment as shown in FIG. 15B.

In yet a further embodiment, the seam arrangement represented by thenanofiber panel edges 511, 521 may be used to connect cuff-tabs on shirtsleeves to eliminate the need for buttons.

In another embodiment, the seam arrangement represented by the nanofiberpanel edges 511, 521 may be used to adjust the size of air vents inclothing so that the user may decide to enlarge vents during strenuousactivity and then reduce the size of the vents after the activity hasfinished.

In a further embodiment, the seam arrangement represented by thenanofiber panel edges 511, 521 may be used to attach and detachremovable clothing elements, such as hoods and sleeves.

In yet another embodiment, the seam arrangement represented by thenanofiber panel edges 511, 521 may be used to attach and detachpackaging components so the packaging closure may be curved instead ofstraight.

Fourth Embodiment Nanofiber Zipper

Yet another embodiment that may utilize the nanofibers 20 in sportinggear is a nanofiber zipper 600, as shown in the athletic shirt 300 shownearlier in FIG. 12. The zipper may also be adapted for use in athleticgear such as apparel, gym bags, footwear, and the like.

The nanofiber zipper 600 may be illustrated in FIGS. 12, 16A, 16B and18C where the nanofiber zipper may be configured to detach a first paneledge 606 from a second panel edge 616 (FIG. 16A) and then later reattachthe panels 606, 616 (FIG. 16B). The first panel 606 includes both a topside 607 and a bottom side 608. The second panel 616 includes both a topside 617 and a bottom side 618. The nanofiber zipper 600 may include azipper slider 630 configured to open and close the zipper, a firstnanofiber fold 602 as part of first panel edge 606, a first set ofnanofibers 603 attached as part of first panel edge 606, a secondnanofiber fold 612 as part of second panel edge 616, and a second set ofnanofibers 613 attached as part of second panel edge 616. The nanofiberzipper 600 may include a first set of thread stitches 604, 605 to addstrength to the first nanofiber fold 602 and a second set of threadstitches 614, 615 to add strength to the second nanofiber fold 612. Thefirst nanofiber fold 602 may include a top fold side 620 and a bottomfold side 621. The second nanofiber 612 fold may include a top side 622and a bottom side 623.

The first and second nanofiber folds 602, 612 as well as the first andsecond nanofibers 603, 613 may be created and attached using the sameconcepts already discussed as part of the processes used to make thenanofiber seams 304, 404, 504.

FIGS. 16B and 17B show the nanofiber zipper 600 in the closed statewhere the nanofibers on the first nanofiber fold 602 have attached tothe second set of nanofibers 613 using nanoadhesion. Also, thenanofibers on the second nanofiber fold 612 have attached to the firstset of nanofibers 603 using nanoadhesion.

The zipper slider 630 opens and closes the zipper 600 and includes acontrol handle (not shown) for the user to control the zipper 600. Thecontrol handle may be attached at an attachment point 650 as shown inFIGS. 18A, 18B, and 18C.

FIGS. 17A and 18A show a cross section at the top 651 of the zipperslider 630 where the panel edges 606, 616 are unattached to each other.The first and second nanofiber folds 602, 612 are used to guide thepanel edges 606, 616 through the zipper slider 630. FIG. 17B shows across section at the bottom 652 of the zipper slider 630 where the paneledges 606, 616 are attached via nanoadhesion.

A close-up of the zipper slider 630 is shown at FIG. 18A. The slider top651 is wider than the slider bottom 652. FIG. 18B shows the left side ofthe zipper slider 630 with an open groove 652 for the first panel edge606 to travel. The nanofiber zipper 600 may be supplemented by otherfasteners such as traditional hooks or buttons.

The nanofiber zipper 600 is operated by the user by grabbing a controlhandle (not shown) attached to the 650 attachment at the zipper slider630. The user moves the zipper slider 630 up 700 along the length of thepanel edges 606, 616 to close the zipper 600. The user may open thezipper 600 by moving the zipper slider 630 down 701 along the length ofthe panel edge 606, 616 and the nanofibers on the panel edges 606, 616may be pulled apart by the zipper slider. The process is reversible andthe zipper 600 may be opened and closed many times.

Although various zipper embodiments are possible with nanoadhesion, thepreferred embodiment is shown in FIGS. 15A-15B. The preferred zipperincludes panels 310, 320 with nanofibers attached at nanofiber paneledges 511, 512. The nanofiber panel edges 511,521 are attached togetherusing nanoadhesion by being placed in contact as shown in FIG. 15B. Thenanofibers panel edges 511, 512 may be later detached by pulling themapart.

Fifth Embodiment Device Attachment

Yet another embodiment that may utilize the nanofibers 20 in sportinggear is a nanofiber attachment, as demonstrated by a wristwatch 800 inFIG. 19A. The nanofiber attachment may be adapted for other devicesother than wristwatches, for example, global positioning system devices,music players or video entertainment devices, communication devices,heart rate monitors, biometric sensors, and the like.

The nanofiber watch 800 may include a strap 801 while worn on the wrist126 or may be attached to the wrist 126 directly using nanofibers 20 asshown in FIGS. 19B-19D. The watch 800 includes nanofibers 20 that may beattached using one or more of the flocking processes 1, 12 discussedearlier. The watch 800 may be attached directly to the wrist 126 byplacing the nanofibers 20 in contact with the 126 or arm 127 to form ananoadhesion attachment. The wearer engages in whatever activitiesdesired and the nanoadhesion attachment keeps the watch 800 attached tothe wrist 126. When the watch 800 is to be removed from the wrist 126,then the wearer may pull the watch 800 away from the wrist 126 toseparate the nanofibers 20 from the wrist 126.

A second aspect to the device attachment is to attach a second device810 to the arm 127 as shown in FIG. 20A-20D. The second device may be atime measuring device, heart monitor, location device, music or videoentertainment device, medical sensor, athletic performance measuringsensor, communication device, or the like. The second device 810 mayinclude a strap 811 while worn on the arm 127 or may be attached to thearm 127 directly while solely using nanofibers 20. The second deviceincludes nanofibers 20 that may be attached using one or more of theflocking processes 1, 12 discussed earlier. The second device 810 may beattached directly to the arm 127 by placing the nanofibers 20 in contactwith the arm 127 to form a nanoadhesion attachment. The wearer engagesin whatever activities desired and the nanoadhesion attachment keeps thesecond device 810 attached to the arm 127. When the second device 810 isto be removed from the arm 127, then the wearer may pull the seconddevice 810 away from the arm 127 to separate the nanofibers 20 from thearm 127 as shown in FIG. 20D.

In a third aspect to the device attachment embodiment, a second device810 is attached to a piece of clothing 812 as shown in FIGS. 21A-21C.The second device 810 may be attached directly to the clothing 812. Theuser merely attaches the second device 810 to the clothing 812 so thatthe nanofibers 20 on the device 810 come in contact with the clothing812 to form a nanoadhesion attachment. When the second device 810 is tobe removed from the clothing 812, then the wearer may pull the seconddevice 810 away from the clothing 812 to separate the nanofibers 20 fromthe clothing 812 as shown in FIG. 21C. The piece of clothing 812 may beshirts, pants, socks, shoes, jackets, or the like.

In yet a fourth aspect to the device attachment embodiment, the seconddevice 810 is attached to a piece of clothing 812 having nanofibers 815attached to the clothing 812. In this aspect a nanoadhesion attachmentis formed between the nanofibers 20 attached to the second device 810and the nanofibers 815 attached to the clothing 812 using the one ormore of the flocking processes described earlier. The user merelyattaches the second device 810 to the clothing 812 so that thenanofibers 20 on the device 810 and the nanofibers 815 on the clothing812 come in contact with each other to form a nanoadhesion attachment.The user engages in whatever activity is desired and the nanoadhesionattachment keeps the device 810 attached to the clothing 812. When thesecond device 810 is to be removed from the clothing 812, then thewearer may pull the second device 810 away from the clothing 812 toseparate the nanofibers 20, 815 as shown in FIG. 21D.

In yet a fifth aspect to the device attachment embodiment, the seconddevice 810 illustrated in either FIG. 21C or 21D could be a componentdesigned to cushion the impact of certain body parts during sportingactivities. The component could be functionally equivalent to shin padsused by soccer players, modular protection zones used by footballplayers on football pants and other protective gear, or localizedpadding used in biking shorts used by cyclists to lessen the shock andbumps from a bicycle seat to contact points on the human body. Thecomponent may have nanofibers 20 attached to the component and may havenanofibers 815 attached to the contact area on the clothing.

In yet a sixth aspect to the device attachment embodiment, the seconddevice 810 may be a backpack and a set of associated straps that may beattached to a wearer's clothing using nanofibers 20 attached to theassociated straps. The nanofibers 20 may be attached to nanofibers 815on the wearer's clothing to form a nanoadhesion attachment. An advantageof using nanofibers 20, 815 to attach the straps to the clothing may beto reduce chafing during activity. Other embodiments may have a backpackwithout straps and the backpack attached directly to the clothing with ananoadhesion attachment.

In a seventh embodiment, a bottle closure (broadly represented aselement 810 in FIG. 21C) may have nanofibers 20 to form a nanoadhesionattachment with a bottle (broadly represented as element 812 in FIG.21C) to replace threaded closures used on bottles, such as soda cans,water bottles, and the like.

In an eighth embodiment, a roof rack may to interface with an automobile(the roof rack broadly represented as element 810 in FIG. 21C) may havenanofibers 20 to form a nanoadhesion attachment with an exterior surfaceof an automobile (broadly represented as element 812 in FIG. 21C). Theroof rack may be used to transport bicycles, boats, sporting equipment,packages in transit, or the like.

In a ninth embodiment, a clothing hanger (the hanger is broadlyrepresented as element 810 in FIG. 21C) may have nanofibers 20 to form ananoadhesion attachment with clothing that is desired to be hung fromthe hanger (the clothing broadly represented as element 812 in FIG.21C). The clothing may or may not have nanofibers to attach with thosenanofibers 20 on the hanger.

In a tenth embodiment, a clothing price tag or information tag (the tagis broadly represented as element 810 in FIG. 21C) may have nanofibers20 to form a nanoadhesion attachment with clothing that the tag isassociated with (the clothing broadly represented as element 812 in FIG.21C).

In an eleventh embodiment, a portion of a surface of a glove (theportion of the glove surface is broadly represented as element 810 inFIG. 21C) may have nanofibers 20 to form a nanoadhesion attachment withan item that the glove is gripping while the glove is in the user's hand(the item is broadly represented as element 812 in FIG. 21C). The itemmay be a basketball, water polo ball, a hockey stick, a tennis racquet,or other item similarly to be gripped by a glove.

In a twelfth embodiment, a gripping surface (the gripping surfacebroadly represented as element 810 in FIG. 21C) may have nanofibers 20to form a nanoadhesion attachment with a surface of a hand or glove (thesurface of the hand or glove broadly represented as element 812 in FIG.21C). The gripping surface may be a hockey stick gripping area, a tennisracquet grip, or other surface similarly gripped by a glove or hand. Theglove may also have nanofibers 20 attached to interface with thenanofibers on the gripping surface.

Further, it should be appreciated that the exemplary embodiments of theinvention are not limited to the exemplary embodiments shown anddescribed above. While this invention has been described in conjunctionwith exemplary embodiments outlined above, various alternatives,modifications, variations and/or improvements, whether known or thatare, or may be, presently unforeseen, may become apparent. Accordingly,the exemplary embodiments of the invention, as set forth above areintended to be illustrative, not limiting. The various changes may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.Therefore, the systems and methods according to exemplary embodiments ofthis invention are intended to embrace all now known or later-developedalternatives, modifications, variations and/or improvements.

Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the presentinvention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is thereforeto be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, theinvention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically describedherein.

1. A running shoe used by a runner, the shoe comprising: an upper, saidupper configured to fit over a top portion of a runner's foot; amidsole, the midsole configured to provide cushion to a bottom portionof the runner's foot and is connected to the upper via a sewn interface;and an outsole, the outsole configured to provide traction between therunning shoe and a running surface and is connected to the midsole via ananofibril dry adhesive.
 2. The running shoe according to claim 1,wherein the nanofibril dry adhesive includes a first set of nanofibersand a second set of nanofibers, the first set of nanofibers beingattached to a first mounting surface on a lower surface of the midsoleand the second set of nanofibers being attached to a second mountingsurface on an upper surface of the outsole.
 3. The running shoeaccording to claim 2, wherein each nanofiber in the first set ofnanofibers is generally perpendicular to the first mounting surface andeach nanofiber in the second set of nanofibers is generallyperpendicular to the second mounting surface.
 4. The running shoeaccording to claim 2, wherein each nanofiber has a diameter of 250 nm to1 μm.
 5. The running shoe according to claim 2, wherein each nanofiberhas a length of 5 to 100 μm.
 6. A component of a running shoe used by arunner, the component comprising: an upper, said upper configured to fitover a top portion of a runner's foot; a midsole, the midsole configuredto provide cushion to a bottom portion of the runner's foot and isconnected to the upper via a sewn interface, the midsole including afirst set of nanofibers attached to a first mounting surface on a lowersurface of the midsole, the first set of nanofibers configured to attachto a second set of nanofibers attached to a second mounting surface onan upper surface of an outsole.
 7. The component according to claim 6,wherein each nanofiber in the first set of nanofibers is generallyperpendicular to the first mounting surface.
 8. The component accordingto claim 6, wherein each nanofiber in the first set of nanofibers has adiameter of 250 nm to 1 μm.
 9. The component according to claim 6,wherein each nanofiber in the first set of nanofibers has a length of 5to 100 μm.
 10. A outsole of a running shoe used by a runner, the outsolecomprising: a lower surface configured to provide traction between arunning shoe and a running surface; and an upper surface including afirst set of nanofibers, the first set of nanofibers configured toattach to a second set of nanofibers attached to a lower surface of amidsole of the running shoe.
 11. The outsole according to claim 10,wherein each nanofiber in the first set of nanofibers is generallyperpendicular to the upper surface of the outsole.
 12. The outsoleaccording to claim 10, wherein each nanofiber in the first set ofnanofibers has a diameter of 250 nm to 1 μm.
 13. The outsole accordingto claim 10, wherein each nanofiber in the first set of nanofibers has alength of 5 to 100 μm.